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░ ██ ██ Artist: Master Fury ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Circles of Hell █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2014-03-08 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Contaminated Tones Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Compilation ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Old US thrash-metal classics. █
█ █
█ Tracks 01à08 are "Hell Party" 1988 █
█ Tracks 09à16 are "Circles Of Hate!" 1989 █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ When you say thrash metal most people think 1980's █
█ USA. There are the essential giants like Slayer, █
█ Overkill, Testament and Metallica, and the hidden █
█ and forgotten gems like Holocross, Heretic, █
█ Powerlord and Master Fury. Formed in 1986 they █
█ only ever released 2 albums, the rough Hell Party █
█ album from 1988 and the barbarous Circles of Hate █
█ album from 1989. They went on hold for an unknown █
█ number of years and then had a brief reunion in █
█ 2010, but it wasn't before 2013 we would see █
█ another Master Fury release, the two albums █
█ compiled on Circles of Hell by Contaminated Tones █
█ Productions. █
█ Master Fury has a very abrasive sound. Their █
█ approach to thrash metal is on the chaotic side of █
█ things and more focussed on speed and coarseness █
█ than anything else, making them probably one of █
█ the fastest bands at the time. Through the █
█ metallic din of Master Fury's aggressive guitars █
█ the amazingly precise riffs shine. Where Hell █
█ Party thrives on a coarse, simplistic thrash █
█ recipe building up to and colliding in the final █
█ mosh-inducing track "Riot" the second half of the █
█ compilation, the Circles of Hate album, takes a █
█ more technical and commonplace approach to the █
█ genre. The early material is distinguished by the █
█ near constant speed with which it is furiously █
█ provided. On Circles of Hate Master Fury were █
█ progressing as songwriters and were more █
█ comfortable with slowing down once in a while in █
█ order to build up momentum for a particularly epic █
█ solo or building atmosphere. █
█ The band seems to have always favoured a █
█ trio-lineup consisting of the guitars and vocals █
█ of Digg Rouze and various bassists and drummers. █
█ As mentioned above Master Fury evolved as a band █
█ even if their was only 1 year between the █
█ 25-minute Hell Party and the slightly longer █
█ Circles of Hate. On tracks like Corporate War and █
█ Life's a Bitch they give way for their crossover █
█ tendencies fuelled by ferocious d-beats and █
█ gang-shouts, a style that wasn't at all present of █
█ Hell Party. I could imagine a song like Road Hog █
█ off of Hell Party being an early example of the █
█ Mot÷rhead/Venom-inspired punky speed metal that █
█ has recently made a comeback, and there are more █
█ examples of songs that fit the bill as really good █
█ metal songs, but with the production being so █
█ muddy and deranged it's hard to make out anything █
█ other than a few riffs here and there, making the █
█ tracks hard to tell apart. █
█ Master Fury already perfectly sum up their █
█ material with their name. Furious, fast as fuck █
█ thrash. The extremity of the albums put Master █
█ Fury somewhere in the grey area between thrash and █
█ death metal that had a couple of years prior been █
█ completely dominated by bands like Death and █
█ Possessed. Master Fury may not be the authors of █
█ the most original or memorable kind of thrash █
█ metal, but if you feel like getting your skull █
█ pounded by uncompromising riffs, powerful drumming █
█ and screaming vocals The Circles of Hell █
█ compilation is as good a way get your needs █
█ fulfilled as any. The combination of the two █
█ tracks celebrate an above-average band, though █
█ their material never quite achieves true classic █
█ or gem status. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Reason #116 that small/independent label █
█ compilations of underground bands are infinitely █
█ superior than larger label collections/anthologies █
█ of 'made' bands: because they actually give a █
█ shit. And because THEY give a shit, YOU'LL give a █
█ shit. Generally when I receive discs like Circles █
█ of Hell, be they reissued discographies or █
█ demo/rarity gatherings, I make a beeline for the █
█ liner notes to read up on the band's history, and █
█ in this case, was treated to a great anecdote of █
█ the Contaminated Tones label owner, who originally █
█ encountered a Master Fury cassette in an old, █
█ dusty shoebox and fell in love with it; inevitably █
█ inspiring him to get in touch with the former New █
█ Jersey trio and discuss a re-release of both their █
█ albums. How do you not smile at that? As someone █
█ who, when old enough to finally drive, used to █
█ head out with friends to comb the used record █
█ shops in Boston with his paper route money for █
█ whatever metal and hardcore obscurities he could █
█ find, how do I not choke up on nostalgia? █
█ Now, granted, none of that rummaging turned up any █
█ Master Fury material for me to enjoy, so I'll █
█ admit that, apart from seeing the band's name in a █
█ list or two, or possibly hearing a video on █
█ YouTube in recent years when I was researching █
█ deep underground thrash for any unknown gems I █
█ might add to my lists, I had no substantial █
█ exposure to this ex-Jersey trio. But I'm glad that █
█ has changed, because both of their albums are █
█ every bit as energetic, earnest, entertaining, and █
█ innocent as you'd expect of a hopeful speed/thrash █
█ outfit in a time when the stuff was exploding in █
█ the mid to late 80s. Okay, perhaps 'innocent' is a █
█ bad adjective for something so innocent and █
█ face-shredding as Master Fury's songwriting, but █
█ there's a peculiar, particular response I've █
█ always had to metal like this. Fast, relentless █
█ guitars playing with an intensity that made them █
█ seem like they were racing against the studio █
█ engineer's work shift before the power went out █
█ for the night; frenetic lead bursts being thrown █
█ to the wind; rampant, angry drumming with spurts █
█ of proto-extreme metal technique; and maniacal, █
█ over the top vocal charisma. Yes, that same █
█ reaction I had to Kill 'Em All or Show No Mercy █
█ when I were but a fingerling. Or Sentence of █
█ Death. Bonded by Blood. Reign in Blood. Metal █
█ Inquistion. Pleasure to Kill. Finished With the █
█ Dogs; hell, even Witchery's "The Reaper" much █
█ later. █
█ Say what you will about the budget production █
█ values, or the lack of total innovation here: █
█ Master Fury manifests that same ardent █
█ aesthetic...in spades, at least a dozen times █
█ across these two collected works. Thus it would be █
█ impossible for someone of my background to not █
█ begin thrashing around like a gremlin dunked in a █
█ public swimming pool after midnight. Circles of █
█ Hell definitely draws some comparisons to █
█ Whiplash, another Jersey trio, who performed with █
█ a similar brake-for-nothing abandon, interspersed █
█ with fits of flashy musicality that seemed to hint █
█ at 'contender' status against the West Coast and █
█ German scenes in dominance by the end of the 80s. █
█ But really, apart from their similar love of █
█ acceleration and uncouth, rabid vocals, the two █
█ groups do not entirely overlap. Master Fury █
█ definitely has a lighter sense of humor at times, █
█ even unintentionally, like the bridge of "Time is █
█ Right" where Queen-like anthem leads tear out over █
█ a volley of hyper punk rhythm guitars, or "Riot", █
█ which starts out with a speed metal spy aesthetic █
█ reminiscent of Wrathchild America, but trust me: █
█ they're still extremely aggressive. █
█ Hell Party (1988). Definitely the rougher of the █
█ two recordings, possibly due to the transfer, I █
█ read that this had some limited involvement from █
█ Rich Harter (of Harter Attack, another lost Jersey █
█ thrash act). This shit hits like a barrage of old █
█ Metallica meets Whiplash/Nuclear Assault, with █
█ meticulous rhythm guitars that are often adorned █
█ with the frivolous leads I mentioned above. The █
█ boxcutter guitar rhythm tone is by far the most █
█ powerful element, but the bass and drums pop █
█ through, and the vocals, which feel like an █
█ ungodly East Coast alternative to the late Keith █
█ Deen (Holy Terror), retch and bark like a crate of █
█ salacious imps just imported from some preschool █
█ in Hell. In what might be seen as an 80s thrash █
█ tradition (at least in some circles), this album █
█ opens with an instrumental, which to be honest █
█ would have been even better with vocals, but █
█ quickly sets the pace for most of the material █
█ here. And that might be one of my only real █
█ issues, that you don't get a great deal of █
█ variation in the songwriting. They blaze, and █
█ blaze some more, with only a few points like █
█ "Riot" where it mildly changed up. On the other █
█ hand, the songs are concise and engaging, you █
█ never really get bored, only exhausted, and █
█ ultimately the speed metal excess here is pure █
█ spectacle. █
█ Circles of Hate (1989). The more mature, gestated █
█ of the pair. While I won't say that I enjoyed it █
█ more than its predecessor, I appreciate that they █
█ varied up the material, with slower riffs churning █
█ off against the inevitable blitzkriegs of █
█ dexterity. I felt that the lead harmonies in tunes █
█ like "Die In Your Sleep" and "Son of Man" were █
█ catchier and better plotted than the first record. █
█ The vocals are still quite nasty, but at times he █
█ has dialed down the feral edge so that you can █
█ better understand what he's saying. The riff █
█ selection is more surgical, but I do have to █
█ admit, ironically, now that they've got a few █
█ slower progressions in there, I found those to be █
█ among the least interesting on both the albums █
█ (with the exception of "The Way", which had a █
█ great, airy, eerie breakdown melody comparable to █
█ something like Excel). At any rate, Circles of █
█ Hate clearly was a step ahead in terms of ambition █
█ and refinement, which made sense at a time when a █
█ lot of similar bands were also coming into their █
█ own. The musicianship is better, the lyrics and █
█ themes just as relevant as anyone else out there, █
█ and its the sort of record, that, had there been █
█ less saturation of the style by the end of the █
█ 80s, might have made some greater waves in the █
█ underground press. █
█ Alas, Master Fury did not prove to be the next █
█ Megadeth- or Testament-in-waiting, but in today's █
█ climate of rethrash hysteria and the genuine █
█ nostalgia and reconnection of the 30 and █
█ 40-something audience, I think there's a great █
█ chance more people would appreciate the band. █
█ Militant aggression (partly due to Digg Rouze's █
█ stint in the service prior to the albums), street █
█ savvy, striking musicianship, and an utter lack of █
█ compromise; just as radioactive as anything else █
█ to emerge from the Garden State. Fans of Whiplash, █
█ Holy Terror, (early) Kreator, Sadus, Dark Angel, █
█ Razor, Zoetrope, Tankard and Sodom are genetically █
█ wired to enjoy efforts like these, so I would not █
█ hesitate for a moment to recommend checking out █
█ the collection. The production is hardly cutting █
█ edge, and perhaps the riffs and choruses weren't █
█ half so memorable as many of the other acts coming █
█ out in that Golden Age of the genre, but █
█ regardless they feel crisp, fresh, timeless, and █
█ authentic, which is more than I can say for a lot █
█ of the retro peddlers. Circles of Hell is a great █
█ value, getting it all in one place like this, █
█ because there's not much of a chance the rest of █
█ us will be finding it in a shoebox of tapes at the █
█ local Salvation's Army...though you never know █
█ what the hell else is out there. Start digging. █
█ And let me know what you find. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Hell Party 3:09 ░
░ 2. Crash 2:47 ░
░ 3. Are All Men Blind 2:49 ░
░ 4. Time is Right 3:39 ░
░ 5. Semper Furious 2:55 ░
░ 6. Flat Against the Wall 3:46 ░
░ 7. Road Hog 2:40 ░
░ 8. Riot 3:59 ░
░ 9. Die in Your Sleep 5:24 ░
░ 10. Lies 4:03 ░
░ 11. Circus Of Hate 3:23 ░
░ 12. Son of Man 3:24 ░
░ 13. Corporate War 5:38 ░
░ 14. The Way 5:41 ░
░ 15. Life's A Bitch 4:26 ░
░ 16. V.O.H 4:04 ░
░ 61:47 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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